Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday, June 5, 2026, launched the Sustainable Horticulture Promotion Project and laid the foundation stone of the Haryana Agri Business and Cold Chain Centre at an event held in Panchkula. The ₹2,738 crore initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and aims to raise farmer incomes, reduce post-harvest crop losses, and strengthen modern agricultural infrastructure across the state.

Context

Posting on X, CM Saini described the programme as a significant step toward building a self-reliant and prosperous farming ecosystem. In his words, 'यह पहल हरियाणा को बागवानी क्रांति की ओर अग्रसर करते हुए आत्मनिर्भर एवं समृद्ध कृषि व्यवस्था के निर्माण में अहम भूमिका निभाएगी' ('This initiative will play a key role in moving Haryana toward a horticulture revolution and building a self-reliant, prosperous agricultural system'). The event in Panchkula, the planned city adjacent to Chandigarh that regularly hosts state-level government functions, brought together officials, agri-entrepreneurs, and farming community representatives.

Policy Backdrop

JICA, Japan's principal bilateral development agency, has supported agriculture and infrastructure projects across Indian states since the early 2000s, with a focus on irrigation, value-chain development, and extension services. Haryana, whose agricultural base has traditionally centred on wheat and rice, has been actively pursuing horticulture diversification to improve farm incomes and reduce dependence on water-intensive staple crops. The project aligns with the central government's Agricultural Infrastructure Fund launched in 2020, which provides interest subvention for cold chains, warehousing, and primary processing units, as well as the older National Horticulture Mission initiated in 2005 to promote post-harvest management and market development.

India-Japan agricultural cooperation has grown steadily over the past two decades, with multiple states signing JICA-assisted projects that combine Japanese expertise in cold-chain and value-chain management with domestic infrastructure schemes. The Haryana Agri Business and Cold Chain Centre whose foundation stone was laid on Friday is expected to serve as a nodal facility for aggregation, processing, and onward movement of horticultural produce.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the project are Haryana's horticulture farmers and agri-entrepreneurs who currently face significant post-harvest losses due to inadequate cold-chain infrastructure. Improved storage and logistics are expected to reduce spoilage, stabilise farm-gate prices, and open access to distant markets. Agri-business operators stand to gain from the modern processing and cold-chain facilities that the project promises to create across the state.

At a broader level, the initiative reflects a pattern seen in several Indian states where JICA funding has been leveraged to build climate-resilient infrastructure that supplements central government schemes. Successful implementation could position Haryana as a model for JICA-assisted horticulture development in the northern belt, potentially attracting further bilateral investment in allied sectors.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the phased district-level rollout of project components and the pace at which cold-chain capacity is actually created on the ground. Observers will also watch for any convergence of the project with the central Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and whether supplementary allocations appear in upcoming state budget cycles. Progress reports on land acquisition, contractor appointments, and commissioning timelines for the Haryana Agri Business and Cold Chain Centre will be key early indicators of execution momentum.